Yoga helps to keep weight off and improve overall performance of the body and mind. Stiff neck, back pains, wrist pains and poor circulation – these are just some of the occupational hazards of a sedentary job. Add to that wrong diet, shallow breathing, poor posture, stress, and a work station that doesn't help you one bit.
No wonder you end up putting on weight and feeling miserable. So why not de-stress, re-energize, jumpstart yourself? Work the kinks out of your body and mind each and every day of your life.
Here are 10 simple ways to help you reduce fat and keep you fit.
Asanas - Postures
The regular practice of yogasanas helps to keep weight off and improve overall performance of the body and mind. The two best physical postures to keep off the fat are:
1. Surya Namaskar or the Sun Salutation - The amount of calories a person will burn by practicing this will vary depending on the person's weight and the intensity and duration of the yoga session. On an average a 130-pound person will burn approximately 240 calories for a light to moderate yoga session. A 130-pound person will also burn approximately 400 calories per hour participating in an intense yoga session.
2. Sarvangasana or The Shoulder-stand is called the Queen of all asanas as it benefits the whole body. It is particular for blood circulation and stimulating the thyroid gland by throwing it open. This asana increases fat metabolism thereby converting fat to muscle and energy. This is like killing two birds with a single stone. You will not only lose fat but also have a better muscle tone and vitality.
3. Paschimottanasana or Head to Knees Pose is ideal for stretching the arms, hamstrings, shoulders, and spine. In the process it helps rid the body of excess fat.
4. Marichyasana or Sage Marichi Twist pose gives immense benefits to the abdominal organs and spine. It helps increase abdominal fire and reduce fat around the waist and thighs.
Pranayama – Breathing techniques
Pranayama, through its influence on the hypothalamus, helps the obese to re-establish the lost balance between food intake and expenditure of energy.
1. Bhastrika or Ballast Breathing increases the flow of air into the body to produce inner heat at the physical and subtle level. It activates and invigorates the liver, pancreas, spleen and abdominal muscles, thus toning the digestive system and improving digestion. If you are resorting to weight loss pills it is sure to give you some side effects. Bhastrika is probably one of the safest options for losing weight as it ensures no side effect.
2. Suryabhedana or Right Nostril Breathing helps with many aspects of health, particularly weight loss and stress reduction. It is not a quick fix, but can be an excellent long-term approach to losing excess weight – and keeping it off. Within its ability to create total well-being, lies its ability to reduce excess weight through boosting metabolism and burning calories.
Shatkarmas - Cleansing Techniques
Cleansing techniques purify the entire system of toxins. People suffering from obesity and those of a flabby and phlegmatic constitution will find them especially beneficial. The two main yogic cleansers are:
1. Dhauti is a cleansing technique specifically meant to cleanse the stomach. It consists of drinking as much water as you can then tickling the base of the throat and throwing it all out, thereby ridding the body of all excess fat and toxins.
2. Shankha Prakshalana is another type of technique for cleansing the entire digestive system. Shankha means conchshell and Prakshalana means to wash. Just like washing a conch shell where you would pour water into the mouth and drain it out the opposite end of the shell, so also with the intestinal tract. It has the same benefits of Dhauti except that here the entire digestive tract is cleansed.
Yogahar - Yogic Diet
Most illnesses are in some way linked to wrong food habits. A slight modification in dietary habits can rehabilitate the entire system. The yogic diet is a vegetarian one, consisting of pure, simple, natural foods which are easily digested and promote health. Simple meals aid the digestion and assimilation of foods. The yogic diet will help you lose weight and remain healthy. However, any change in diet should be made gradually.
Dhyana - Meditation
Meditation is a powerful technique that can be used to coax the mind into doing what you want. Remember the saying, ‘Think thin and get thin’. Mind-body techniques offer a powerful set of strategies to lose weight easily, and for good. When you meditate, you concentrate on your breathing while dismissing any distracting thoughts. Fattening foods become less enticing, you begin to crave healthy foods and to desire to move around more, enabling you to reach the weight loss goals you've been yearning for so long.
Health Benefits of Yoga:
The health benefits of yoga are many and is known to help a lot of people. Yoga is a Sanskrit word that for union. It is a practice that uses several different poses and breathing techniques to improve one’s strength, and bring about relaxation as well. Yoga and meditation go hand in hand as you cannot practice yoga without meditation. One way of getting stress relief is by practicing yoga and mediation. Yoga is used to treat several emotional and physical disorders and more and more people are now turning to this practice. There are common health benefits to yoga and Pilates although the two are separate entities. Both are concerned with fitness and health but Pilates concentrates more on physical fitness while yoga has a broader perspective.
Physical Benefits of Yoga:
What are the physical benefits of yoga? There are myriad physical benefits of yoga. Regular practice of yoga would result in a flexible, toned and strong body. Yoga also helps to maintain a balanced metabolism. As you learn and refine new postures, you will find an improved balance, range of motion and strength and flexibility too. Yoga helps athletes improve their performance as well. The poses promote cardio and circulatory health and help one to look and feel younger too.
yoga for weight loss:
Yoga is often practiced as it helps one to lose weight. It is advisable, however, to check with your doctor before beginning a yoga routine for weight loss. Try out some poses from Power yoga is you are looking to lose weight with yoga. Power yoga has several fast moving poses and these combined with breathing techniques result in weight loss. Other types of yoga that promote weight loss are Bikram yoga or Kundalini yoga or Vinyasa yoga. Beginners should consult a well experienced yoga teacher to find out the best weight loss yoga poses to perform.
Yoga for Belly Fat Reduction:
Most people manage to lose weight all over their bodies but are still plagued with belly fat. Doing yoga for belly fat reduction is a good way of getting rid of this unwanted bulge in the middle. There are several exercises which are specifically for reducing fat from this area. You do not have to do all the poses on the same day. You can switch around and do different poses on different days. Some well known postures are:-
- Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutation Pose
- Dwichkrikasan – Prone Cycling (lying down)
- Ardha Halasan – Half Plough Pose
- Vasisthasana – Side Plank Pose
- Matsyendrasana – Sitting Spinal Twist
Stomach Fat Reduction:
Practicing yoga poses will help you in stomach fat reduction. Do these exercises regularly and you will soon be rewarded with an enviable flat tummy. The right yoga postures can work wonders on a fat stomach. Yoga is a practice that consists of breathing exercises that help to contract and expand the abdominal muscles of the body when air is breathed in or out. This process helps make the stomach muscles flexible and also strengthen them. These exercises also help to burn more calories as there is more oxygen in the body to do this.
Body Fat Reduction:
There are two ways of reducing body fat or excess weight in the body. Body fat reduction can be brought about by a change in diet as well as exercises. The healthiest way to eat is by reducing your body fat. There are many fad diets that are popular today however; each diet has different results for different people. Avoid “yo yo” dieting. The weight will pile on again as soon as you give into your cravings. Eat sensibly and ensure that you are eating the right food at the right time. Give up junk food and follow a nutritious diet. Exercise reduces body fat as well. The best exercises to lose body fat are swimming, jogging, walking, running, and cycling, among others.
Yogic Diet:
A yogic diet is considered an essential part of the practice of yoga. Such a diet will help you to benefit fully from doing yoga regularly. It is important to have a well balanced diet and always eat in moderation. A diet usually brings to mind boring food which is often considered unpalatable. However, it is possible to cook healthy food in a tasty manner as well. Eating a proper and healthy diet is what is essential and required for a yoga diet as well. A yoga diet coupled with yoga postures will result in weight loss. The main principle of a yogic diet is to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables and ultimately shifting to a vegetarian diet.
Such a diet is a healthier diet and will lead to a better state of mind and to a stronger body as well.
Yoga for Fat People:
Yoga has many health benefits and one of them is losing weight. The practice of yoga involves physical and breathing exercises which help one to lose weight effectively. Yoga for fat people is beneficial for this reason. Such exercises will also help them combat the other problems excessive weight brings along with it, such as depression, diabetes, and other health problems. Yoga is not a strenuous form of exercise but it increases the rate of metabolism in the body and burns calories faster. Yoga is also helpful in banishing those hunger pangs and thereby reduces hunger as well. Most importantly, yoga helps to reduce stress, which is one of the key reasons for putting on weight.
Yoga for Fat Loss:
Practicing Bikram yoga or hot yoga is a good way of losing fat. Bikram yoga is most beneficial for fat loss as this type of yoga is practiced in a room that is heated to 105 degrees. There are 26 postures that you will have to practice within a time span of 90 minutes. The result – effective weight loss. Bikram yoga makes you sweat and increases your heart rate as well. It is a great workout for losing fat as when warm, muscles burn fat more easily. Bikram yoga also plays a role in detoxifying your body. This is turn affects your metabolism which helps you to shed weight more easily.
Yoga Poses for Weight Loss:
Yoga helps one to burn calories and reduces stress as well. Practice these easy yoga poses at least thrice a week for best results:-
- Virabhadrasana: Warrior Pose
- Trikonasana: Triangle Pose
